Distribution system for shoe factories



Oct. 15, 1935. M. o. FROST ET AL 2,017,148

'FlG. I.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SHOE FACTORIES Original Filed June 20, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 15, 1935. M. o. FROST ET AL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR" SHOE FACTORIES Original Filed Juhe 20, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MNN nw Oct. 15; 1935. M. o. FROST ET AL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SHOE FACTORIES Original Filed June 20, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 15, 1935. M O FROST ET AL 2,017,148 7 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SHOE FACTORIES Original Filed June 20, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 15, 1 935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SHOE FACTORIES Original application June 20, 1932, Serial No.

618,251. Divided and this application November 16, 1932, Serial No. 642,916

8 Claims.

1934, No. 1,954,124 for Distribution system for shoe factories.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a selective distribution system for shoe factories wherein different units of Work or bundles of elements may be made up and placed upon a. conveyor for distribution to selected points; the provision of apparatus of the class described wherein a given operator may determine the manner of distribution according to the requirements of. other operators or according to other variables; the provision of apparatus of the class described which shall be operative upon individual pieces of aggregates of a number of pieces; and the provision of improved apparatus for carrying out the above ends. Other ob- .jects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompaning drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible'embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of. the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of certain clutch elements of Fig. l, the view being taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of certain operating controls;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken from the right of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral I a table along which shoe operators are seated at stations such as at points X, for example, said operators performing with or without machines or the like, operations in connection with the manufacture of shoes, such as for example, the assembling of various pieces to form uppers, liners or the like. The operators require to have material distributed to them and it is the purpose of this invention to effectively and efiiciently make such a distribution.

A frame IGI is arranged adjacent to receiving 5 stations X and a distributing station Y, it being intended that the operator at Y shall assemble various bundles of material for shoes and predeterminately distribute them to those who are to work thereon at stations X. The stations X are provided with receiving racks I63, into which said bundles are to be dropped.

Sprockets I65, I are rotatably mounted to carry an endless chain I61 as shown in Fig. 1. The lower, right-hand sprocket i55' (Fig. l) is driven from a speed reducer I59 (see also Figs. 2, 4, and 6), said speed reducer being energized from the driven side I72 of a clutch I1 I. The driving side I18 of said clutch I'II is energized by a belt 113 from a motor I75.

It is the intention to have the clutch I'II manually closable, the period of closing being automatically regulated to provide a predetermined angular movement of the lower right-hand driving sprocket I65 (Fig. 1). In the present example, the angular movement of said sprocket is to be 360.

In order to accomplish the above action of the clutch Ill, there is provided a bell crank lever I'I'I, which, by means of a spring I19 which reacts against the head of a bolt I8 I, is normally pressed clockwise (Fig. 4) to press the driving side iii] of the clutch Ill into closed position against the driven element of said clutch. However, this bell crank lever H1 is normally prevented from so closing the clutch ill by an adjustable link 35 having a lost-motion engagement A8! with an extension E89 of. the bell crank lever ITI.

The link I is articulated with a bell crank lever I9 I which by means of a stronger spring I93, is normally pressed in a counter-clockwise direction. The result is that under the influence of the stronger spring I93 overcoming the influence of the weaker spring N9, the bell crank lever H1 is pressed counterclockwise to normally prevent closing of the clutch.

To manually close the clutch, there is provided an operators foot pedal i connected by means of link I91 to a rocker arm I99, the latter having a pin 21H for engagement with one arm of the 5 bell crank lever IHI. It is clear that temporary depression of the foot pedal will result in withdrawing of the link I85 to the right and thereby causing the spring iii! to press the bell crank lever iTI into engagement with the driving mem- 55 ber I19 of the clutch I1I, thereby closing the clutch and causing the speed reducer I 69 to efiect rotation of the driving sprocket I65.

The period of motion of said sprocket is controlled by a cam 253 fastened to the drive shaft 295 of said sprocket IE5. This cam 203 has a notch'291 in which a pawl 299 may be positioned, the clutch under these conditions (Fig. 4) being forced open due to the action of spring I93 on the mechanism I9I, I85, I89, I11. The pawl 209 is fixed with respect to the bell crank lever I9I. When the pedal I95 is depressed temporarily to close the clutch Ill, the'pawl 269 is thrown out of engagement with the notch 291, thus closing the clutch I'II through action of spring I19 to drive the shaft 295 clockwise. 7

After driving of the shaft 205'is once started, the pawl 299 rests on the high portion 205 of the cam 293 and does not permit opening of the clutch for approximately 7 360. At this time the operators foot may be taken from the pedal I95. The motion of the cam 293 is counterclockwise as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, and when the notch 291 is again engaged by the pawl299, said notch permits the pawl 299 to move to the left to cause opening of the clutch under action of the spring I93.

In order that inertia shall not carry on beyond the point at which it is desired to stop, there is provided a brake shoe 2II adjustable by means of a'set screw M3 on the bell crank lever I11. When the bell crank I11 is rotated to the left, as when opening'the clutch I", the shoe 2II is caused to contact with the periphery of said clutch ill to brake the movement thereof.

Spaced along the chain I61 are holding clamps 2I5, the same being spaced distances apart equal to the pitch line distance traversed in one revolution by a point on the pitch line of the driving sprocket 595'; that is to say, upon temporary depression of the pedal I95 and a consequent predetermined movement of the driving sprocket I65, the chain! 51 will move so as to cause 'a given posterior clamp 2I5 to be replaced by an anterior clamp.

Each clamp comprises an extension 211 on which is pivoted a jaw 2I9 normally spring pressed by a spring 22I to press againstthe respectiveextension 2I1, said jaw 2I9 having a tail piece 223 normally in the position shown in Fig. 6, in which the clamp is closed. This tail piece 223 is adapted to be actuated to open the clamp when a bundle is to be dropped or when applying a bundle, the clamp being'closed during carriage of the same.

The bundle is loaded at the station Y and at this point there is provided a framework 225 on which is pivotallysupported a platen 221 having the sloping lip portion 229. The platen may be elevated or permitted to be depressed by gravity by means of a pin 23I resting upon a bell crank 233, the latter being operated by means of a rod 235 reaching from an extension 231 of said rocker I99.

Thus it will be seen that upon depression of said pedal I95, the platen 221 is raised. When the platen is raised, it contacts with the tall 223 of the clamp 2 I5 which happens to be in position over the platen, thereby opening the clamp 2I5 (in Fig. '6 it is shown closed), thereby permitting application to the clamp of a bundle to be carried. Then, when the foot is released from the pedal I95, (the clutch I1I continuing to be closed for the period stated) the platen 221 drops, thereby causingthe clamp 2I5 to close and support the respective bundle to transport the same. The described movability of the platen avoids the necessity for the operator waiting until the clamp has moved away from the platen before closure. the operators desire, merely by taking the foot from the pedal I95. Thus it may be said that depression of the pedal initiates movement of the clamps and release of the pedal initiates clamp closure before a clamp would otherwise move 10 from over the platen. As the clutch continues to drive for the predetermined period, the clamp 2I5 in question moves away from the platen 221 and when the pedal I95 is again operated, the clamp H5 is not effected but continues to carry 15 the bundle along the path of the chain I61. The movement is intermittent. If the operator happens to raise the platen 221 before the arrival of a clamp, the tail of the clamp rides upon a downwardly bent lip 229 and automatically 20 opens instead of improperly interfering.

In order to automatically drop the bundles at predetermined stations X, there are provided knock-ofi levers 239 of the bell crank type adjacent the respective stations, normally set at the 5 dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3, this being by means of a spring 24I reacting from a fixed arm 243. The end 245 of each bell crank lever 239 is adapted, when said bell crank is drawn to full line position (Fig. 3), to contact with the 30 tail piece 223 of any clamp 2l5 which is in position for delivery of its load.

In order to provide a reaction when said end 245 is moved up, there is provided a fixed runner 241 against which the upper extension 2 I1 of the 35 clamp 2I5 reacts (Fig. 5) so that when the bell crank 239 is moved counter-clockwise, the clamp 2 I 5 is opened as shown in Fig. 5. Thus, the clamp is caused to drop its load.

The various knock-out mechanisms are adapt- 40 ed to be individually and manually controlled by the operator at Y, this being done by means of tension members 249 attached to the bell crank levers 239 by springs 25I. The other ends of said. tension members 249 are, by means of bell crank 45 levers 253, articulated to rods 255 operable by hand levers 251 under control of the distributing operator (see Fig. 6). The hand levers 251 pass through a control plate 259 having L-shaped slots 29! thereIn the latter permitting vertical 50 movement of the hand levers 251 and permitting the operator to hold said levers in their lowermost positions by notching them into the lower limbs of the L-shaped openings 25L In Fig. 2 the right-hand lever 251 is shown 5 notched down and the left-hand lever is shown up; The lever 251 which is notched down holds said respective bell crank 239 in the full-line posi tion to press open the respective clamp 2I5 so that said clamp drops its bundle into the respec- 0 tive receptacle I93. If the stations X are provided with numerals to designate the same, the distributing operator at Y has corresponding designating numerals on the plate 259 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 5

In order that the chain I61 may be supported without interfering with the action of the clamps 2I5, the extensions 2I1 from the chain I61 have flat portions 293 engageable with stationary supporting runners 265, said runners 265 clearing the 7 tail piece 223, (see Figs. 1 and 5).

The operation of .the invention is as follows:

The distributing operator at Y makes up the bundles of material according to order ,or discretion. A given bundle is then taken, and as the 7 The respective clamp closes at 5 pedal I95 is temporarily depressed so as to open the respective clamp 2I5 over the platen 221, the bundle is applied to said respective clamp 2| 5 and the pedal I95 is released. The release of this pedal causes closing of the respective clamp 2I5 so that it holds the bundle. If the platen is raised too early, the lip 229 will prevent interference.

The said depression of the pedal I95 has started the chain I61, due to the temporary closing of the clutch I1 I. The clutch I'II remains closed after the pedal I95 is released until the cam 203 has rotated once under the pawl 209. After one revolution, the pawl 209 moves quickly to the left in the notch 20?, thereby causing opening of the clutch and braking by means of the brake ZII. Thus, motion of the chain I 61 is stopped with a new clamp 2I5 in place above the platen 227.

The stations X are in full view of the distributing operator at station Y, so that said operator at station Y can determine what operators at station X are out of work and/or what they are working upon. The operator at station Y therefore controls the levers 251 so as to set a releasing mechanism at a predetermined station so that it shall cause opening of the clamps 2I5 as said clamps pass. This opening causes the bundles to be dropped into the respective receiving racks I54. When the operator at station Y sees that the predetermined operator at X has enough work, she raises the respective lever and depresses another so that another selected operator begins to receive work. Thus the operators at stations X can be readily supplied with work at all times.

The bundles pass from the operator at Y to the operators at X by way of the upper reach of the chain and thus consume time which is advantageous in eiiecting drying, setting or the like of adhesive and the like on the pieces constituting the bundles. The definite intermittent movement instead of a continuous movement is also conducive to complete drying.

The distributing operator at station Y has one of the levers 25'? depressed at all times so as to prevent the return of work to said operator at Y and cause said work to drop off at one of said stations X.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In shoe machinery, a conveyor having in respect to a loading station, an outwardly movreach and a return reach, unloading stations located on the return reach, clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a mechanism for driving the conveyor, an. automatically opening clutch in said mechanism, a movable platen having opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, operating means whereby said operator simultaneously closes the clutch and positions said platen for opening a clamp, each action of said clutch resulting in predetermined movement of said clamps, the clamps being spaced so that during said movement an anterior clamp is progressed into the former position adjacent the platen of a posterior clamp.

2. In shoe machinery, a movable conveyor having with respect to a loading station an outward 1y moving reach and a return reach, normally 5 closed clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a mechanism for driving the conveyor, an automatically opening clutch in said mechanism manually closable by an operator permitting a substantially long pe- 10 riod of carriage to a first unloading station, a movable platen having opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, operating means whereby said operator simultaneously closes the clutch and positions said platen for opening. a 15 clamp, each manual closing of said clutch resulting in predetermined movement of said clamp due to automatic operation of the clutch, the clamps being spaced so that during said movement an anterior clamp is progressed into the 20 former position adjacent the platen of a posterior clamp.

3. In shoe machinery, a conveyor having with respect to a loading station a substantial length of outwardly moving reach and a return reach, 25 receiving operator stations located along the conveyor, clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a mechanism for driving the conveyor, an automatically opening clutch in said mechanism, a movable platen hav- 30 ing opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, operating means whereby said operator may close the clutch and position said platen for opening a clamp, each operation of said clutch resulting in temporary movement of 5 the clamps, the clamps being spaced so that during said movement an anterior clamp is proressedinto the former position adjacent the platen of a posterior clamp, clamp-opening mechanisms respectively juxtaposed near the respec- 40 tive unloading stations, and controls for said clamp opening mechanisms, said controls being operable by an operator at the loading station.

4. In shoe machinery, a conveyor served by a loading station and serving unloading stations, 45 clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a mechanism for driving the conveyor, a manually closing and automatically opening clutch in said mechanism, a movable platen having opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, operating means whereby a loading operator may close the clutch and position said platen to open a clamp, each operation of said clutch resulting in temporary movement of said clamps, the clamps being spaced so that during said movement an anterior clamp is progressed into the position near the platen of a posterior clamp.

5. In shoe machinery, a conveyor served by a loading station and serving unloading stations, clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a mechanism for driving the conveyor, a manually closing and automatically opening clutch in said mechanism, a movable elongated platen having opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, operating means whereby a loading operator may close the clutch and position said platen to open a clamp, each operation of said clutch resulting in temporary movement of said clamps, the clamps being spaced so that during said movement an anterior clamp is progressed into the position near the platen of a posterior clamp, said platen being formed with a curved leading edge and adapted to cause opening of approaching clamps when the platen is in its opening position, the curved edge and elongated features avoiding interference with clamps and permitting variation in clamp travel, respectively.

6. In shoe machinery, a conveyor having with respect to a sending operator station an outwardly moving reach and a return reach, receiving operator stations being located along the conveyor, clamps conveyed by the conveyor and adapted to support material, a movable platen having opening and closing positions with respect to the clamps, an operating linkage whereby said operator may position said platen for opening a clamp and reposition the same for closing the clamp, whereby the operator may load the clamps at will, and driving mechanism for the conveyor including a clutch adapted to open automatically upon completion of a predetermined movement after the manual closure thereof by the operator.

7. In shoe machinery, a conveyor, means for supporting articles on theconveyor at spaced points, a driving mechanism for the conveyor, a clutch adapted to be manually closed by temporary action of an operator and to automatically open after a predetermined movement, control means whereby the operator may operate the clutch said clutch controlling said driving mechanism to move the conveyor a distance equal to thespacing between the points of support of said articles, and'meohanism adapted to prepare the article supporting means'to receive articles operable by the operator independently of the period of clutch operation but operable from said clutch operating control.

8. In shoe machinery, a conveyor, means for supporting articles on the conveyor at spaced points, a driving mechanism for the conveyor, a clutch adapted to be manually closed by temporary action of an operator and to automatically open after a predetermined movement, control means whereby the operator may operate the clutch said clutch controlling said driving mechanism to move the conveyora distance equal to the spacing between the points of support of said articles, mechanism adapted to prepare the article supporting means to receive articles operable by the operator independently of the period of clutch operation but operable from said clutch operating control, and drop mechanisms 

